Books, Movies, & More

On September 15, 1963, a bomb tore through the basement of a black Baptist church taking the lives of four young girls. Spike Lee takes an in-depth look at one of America's most terrible crimes, and the impact it had on the civil rights movement. …More

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater brings its distinctive style to two stunning dance pieces. "Diving" evokes a strong feeling for African tribal ritual and is set to hauntingly rhythmic drum music. "Revelations" expresses vivid "blood memories"of the blues, gospel music, ragtime and folk songs, as well as the hard life of the Southern black during the Depression. …More

Week after week, founder Don Cornelius called Soul Train 'the hippest trip in America,' and he was right on the money. Now, for the firs ttime ever on DVD, Time Life presents an amazing collection of performances from the Soul Train archives, many of which haven't been seen for some thirty years.

Vols. 1-3 tell the story of America's civil rights years from 1954 to 1965; vols. 4-7 examine the new America from 1966 to 1985, from community power to the human alienation of urban poverty.

Gain an unprecedented look at the experiences and accomplishments of African Americans in the military, and learn why such a group of heroic men and women would fight for the freedom of others that they themselves weren't able to enjoy. Hosted by Halle Berry with an introduction by Colin Powell, and features the voices of Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby, Danny Glover, John Travolta, and many more

Actor and stand-up comic Chris Rock hops around the world going from beauty salons to science labs to comb through the mystery of African American hair in director Jeff Stilson's astute, hilarious documentary. Rock contemplates the purpose and application of a weave as well as women's self-esteem and their locks. …More

Al Green was a soul singer with a million-dollar career when he awoke one day in a hotel room praising God. Full of this new spirit, he became a gospel singer and a Pentecostal preacher. Award-winning filmmaker Robert Mugge examines Green's life and music in intimate interviews, passionate performances, and a sermon both spoken and sung--a fiery crescendo of conviction, inspiration, and joy. …More

Features four key band leaders: Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Cab Calloway and Lucky Millinder. These orchestras represent the cream of the crop. Here we see the swinging blues of Count Basie, the multidimensional beauty of Duke Ellington's compositions, the gospel inflected strains of Sister Rosetta Tharpe singing with Lucky Millinder and the high spirited rhythms of master showman Cab Calloway.

Filmmaker Steve James follows the steps of two inner-city-Chicago NBA hopefuls from age 14 to 18. …More

Blocks away from the Capitol and White House stands a tiny storefront church, endeavoring to combat the street violence, unemployment, and homelessness that threaten American families living in poverty. Over the course of a year, this feature-length documentary follows four church members as they work to fulfill their dreams for a better life.

Chronicles the formation and battlefield heroics of the first all-black Union regiment, the Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry. Highlights of this documentary include archival daguerreotypes, tintypes, lithographs, and commentary by various historians.

Upon moving his family's Southern plantation, Godfrey Cheshire discovers an unknown African American branch of the family. Cheshire examines the Southern plantation in American history and how the racial legacy from the past continues into the present. …More

Mike Gray started out to make a film about the Black Panther Party, but on Dec. 4, 1969, the Chicago police raided a Panther apartment and his film became a documentary about the murder of Fred Hampton, chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party.

Neshoba: the price of freedom tells the story of a Mississippi town still divided about the meaning of justice, 40 years after the murders of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, an event dramatized in the Oscar-winning film Mississippi Burning. …More

Filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal recount a surprising tale of heroism in New Orleans, where a wannabe rapper and her husband brave the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina to rescue their neighbors. …More

This riveting two-part documentary follows Jack Johnsons remarkable journey from his humble beginnings in Galveston, Texas, as the son of former slaves, to his entry into the brutal world of professional boxing, where, in turn-of-the century Jim Crow America, the heavyweight champion was an exclusively white title. …More

Filmmaker Mel Stuart chronicles a 1972 concert commemorating the 1965 uprising in the Watts section of Los Angeles. Richard Pryor, the Staple Singers, the Emotions perform. On August 20, 1972, more than 100,000 people attended what came to be known as the black Woodstock. …More